Patients Should Be Optimistic About Return to Normal Life After Surgery

April 11, 2007 – PHILADELPHIA –Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine have discovered that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) -- electric monitoring devices that deliver a lifesaving shock in the event of a cardiac arrest -- help patients with heart problems live longer, more active lives. Further, the study found most patients living with ICDs enjoy a quality of life consistent with average Americans their age and have a high level of satisfaction with the device, offsetting longstanding perceptions that the technology extends but seriously impairs patients’ lives. Peter Groeneveld, MD, MS , Assistant Professor of General Internal Medicine and his co-authors report their findings in the April 2007 issue of the journal Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology.

April 11, 2007 – Tokyo - According to an article by Alice Dordenker in The Japan Times, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are now available in vending machines across Japan. “This interesting innovation is just one of the ways in which Japan is leading the world in AED deployment, after years of being far behind,” she says.

Her report states that AED placement is increasing rapidly in Japan, ever since rules were changed in July 2004 to allow laypersons to use AEDs. About 45,000 AEDs were placed in Japan in 2006, according to cardiologist Dr. Hideo Mitamura, AED advocate.

New Collaborative Retains PULSE Name, Extends Coverage Across Southwest PA

April 8, 2007 – PITTSBURGH –St. Margaret Foundation expanded its established leadership role in providing Automated External Defibrillators (AED) throughout the region as a result of its alliance with PULSE – Pittsburgh United for Life-Saving Emergencies.

April 6, 2007 – DALLAS –March 1, 2007, was supposed to be just another day for Gretchen Minchew. As a business coach, her meeting with clients was business as usual. However, one meeting on this day would change her life; Minchew suffered a sudden-death heart attack.

Minchew's day included three meetings, two new clients, and dinner with her husband, which would take her from 7 a.m. to early evening. What didn't enter her plans was that her life would be saved by an automated external defibrillator (AED), a skilled nurse, and three Boy Scouts of America employees.

March 19, 2007 – It is better to give continuous chest compressions to victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) than to provide conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a new study published in The Lancet. Researchers Ken Nagao, MD, and his colleagues from Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo, reached this conclusion after evaluating 4,241 cases of SCA occurring among adult patients in the Kanto region of Japan during a recent 16-month period.

When researchers looked at the subgroup of patients whose arrests were witnessed by bystanders and who had a shockable heart rhythm when emergency responders arrived, they found that 22 percent of the 439 patients who received chest compressions only survived with good neurological function, compared with 10 percent of the 712 patients who received a combination of chest compressions and ventilations. They also concluded that any CPR was better than no CPR.

February 26, 2007 – REDMOND, WA – Physio-Control has issued a statement regarding its voluntary suspension of U.S. shipments LIFEPAK® external defibrillators, which began on January 16th. The action was taken to focus on quality documentation processes, management oversight and internal quality system documentation.

“We take quality assurance issues very seriously and are committed to improving our processes to address the FDA’s concerns and also exceed our own strict internal quality requirements,” said Brian Webster, President.

To download the full text of the statement, click here. For more information, visit http://www.medtronic-ers.com/.

PITTSBURGH, February 20, 2007 – The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, a national nonprofit information clearinghouse dedicated to reducing death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), has announced formation of the SCA Survivor Registry™. By collecting information such as the location of arrest, types of intervention and outcomes, the SCA Foundation hopes to identify variables and trends related to SCA survival and return to pre-arrest levels of functioning. In addition, survivors who opt to join the registry can indicate their interest in participating in survey research and efforts to increase public awareness, such as media interviews and community outreach.

“The purpose of the registry is to identify people who have survived sudden cardiac arrest and who would like to help others survive,” said Mary Newman, executive director of the SCA Foundation.

'Take Heart America' Seeks to Increase Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates

February 20, 2007 - MINNEAPOLIS - A newly formed coalition of doctors, nurses, paramedics, health educators, community leaders and others have joined together in an effort to dramatically increase the likelihood that someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest will survive.

"Sudden cardiac arrest, sometimes known as a massive heart attack, is a top killer that can strike anyone, anywhere, without warning," said Keith Lurie, M.D., co-founder of Take Heart America. "It's estimated that 300,000 people die from it every year," he added. "That's why we're taking approaches that individually have been shown to increase a person's chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest and combining them in the hopes of dramatically increasing the number of lives we save."

February 19, 2007 – The proliferation of electronic tools and devices has led to concerns about electromagnetic interference (EMI) with internal heart devices such as pacemakers, heart failure devices, and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), according to a recent article in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Pioneer Press. EMI may be caused by electromagnetic fields that surround technological devices that use electricity and magnets. Usually the fields are weak and won’t affect heart devices. In rare cases, however, they can prevent implantable heart devices from working properly and very rarely, may trigger inappropriate shocks from ICDs.

Medical experts say patients should not be overly alarmed about EMI, however, as long as they follow manufacturer guidelines. Heart device companies, which continuously monitor new technology, offer this guidance for patients with internal heart devices:

February 14, 2007 – FORT WORTH, Texas – As the country celebrates Valentine’s Day, as well as American Heart Month during February, American Airlines commemorates the 10-year anniversary of its own heart-health milestone. In 1997, American Airlines became the first U.S. airline to equip its aircraft fleet with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), and this month, American proudly celebrates the 76 lives it has saved in those 10 years.

“American Airlines is pleased to be a pioneer in heart-health at 30,000 feet,” said Dr. Thomas Bettes, American’s Corporate Medical Director. “Our extensive training process ensures that our nearly 16,000 flight attendants are AED-trained annually and available to assist should a passenger become a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.”